The Book of The Reaper
by GuardianShapeShifter
Summary: ... So let it be known to all who look,    Deep inside The Reaper's Book,    Lest your life begin to tip,    And your city begin to fall,    The pages of this book are flipped,    By Reaper's hand or none at all.
1. Chapter 1: The Book of The Reaper

Hello.

I have prepared a new kind of story (or at least I'd like to think) for my enjoyment as much as yours, so please, check out the creepy, crazy, twisted side of the fandom you _thought_ you knew!

* * *

A thin hand covered with a white musician's glove rested atop an old book, bound in leather and sealed with an elder lock, sealing it's secrets inside.

Slowly, the hands slid over the keyhole, popping the lock and releasing a cryptic sigh as the locking curse was broken.

The thin fingers peeled back the cover and revealed the pages to the light for the first time in ages.

_Inside these pages, left confined_

_Horrific stories you shall find_

_Tales so ghastly they were sealed away_

_Forbidden to touch the light of day_

_Tales of blood, murder, tears and fear_

_A curse to all who linger here_

_So let it be known to all who look_

_Deep inside The Reaper's Book_

_Lest your life begin to tip_

_And your city begin to fall_

_The pages of this book are flipped_

_By Reaper's hand or none at all.

* * *

_

... Alright, explanation time...

I decided I wanted to try my hand at a horror series in this fandom, so here you go... The Book of The Reaper.


	2. Chapter 2: Night

... In which, Iwrin explores his vampirism.

* * *

Night in Endsville was a frightening time, as though the day wasn't frightening enough.

The solitary sound of dress shoes on the street echoed through the empty allys and lonely roads.

A dark figure appeared in the mist and continued his lonsome walk through the city.

He was dressed in a very traditional 1800S coat and vest, all topped with a black silk top hat.

Irwin had never explored his vampire side, but tonight, all that would change. He was bound and determined to catch and drain his first victim and he knew exactly who to go after.

Irwin's slow and haunting footsteps brought him to the familiar road and he followed it to a house he knew well.

He stood on the lawn, looking up at the upstairs window that would grant him entrance to the room.

With one swift leap, he was hanging on the side of the building, slowly lifting the unlocked window.

Once it was opened, he slipped inside, unnoticed by the sleeping figure.

He hid in the shadows, just behind the flowing sheer curtains, waiting for the young woman to stir... and she did.

Mandy rolled over and saw the window open. She sighed, thinking she'd left it open, and got out of bed to close it.

As she made her way to the window, she grew ever closer to the uninvited guest, waiting in the shadows.

She finally reached the window. She leaned out and looked around, then ducked back inside and closed the window, but before her hands left the sill, a stronger hand grabbed her wrist.

She looked up as Irwin slowly came into the moonlight, revealing his fanged smile and shocking eyes.

"What are you doing here, Iwrin?" She asked coldly.

"I'm experimenting with something...," He smiled as he spun her, unwillingly, into his arms. "... and you, my lovely, are the subject."

"Back off Irwin or else." Mandy warned.

"Or what? You'll slay me?" He cackled. "Face it, you're defenseless here, Mandy..." His face drew closer to hers. "... and you're all mine tonight."

Mandy watched as he drew close enough for a kiss, but at the last minute, his lips averted from hers and instead she felt the sharp sting of fangs in her neck as Iwrin began to drain her.

"W-wha...t's wro...ng with... y-you?" She barely managed.

He did not reply, but simply continued until Mandy was on the brink of death, then, with an almost elegant shift, he let her go and she fell to the floor, holding her bleeding neck.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just experimenting." He smiled as he knelt beside her, his shockingly amber eyes meeting her angry dark ones.

"Don't fret, my love. You'll be fine by morning..." He said as he stood up and perched in the window. "... though, I wouldn't recomend sunlight for a long long _long _while."

And with that, and a cackle, he leapt from the window and was back off into the night.

* * *

The first story of the Book of The Reaper.

Reviews would be nice. Just sayin'.


	3. Chapter 3: The Bird and the Worm

Here's the next chapter...

* * *

... In which Piff reconciles with his past...

The sound of a lone violin echoed through the chamber room in Endsville High, it's sensual melody creeping through every open door and window in the building.

The purple haired goth played with heart and soul as each note, shift, and slide came to be. He moved with the intense song, the bow glinding with a fierce grace across the strings, making him appear angry in his motions.

Then, rather abruptly, the song ended and Piff was alone in the dark chamber room.

with an almost sad look, he knelt down and began to pack up the beautiful instrument.

"Bravo."

Piff nearly jumpped out of his skin. He spun around to see a black and silver Marching Band uniform clad figure standing in the doorway, slowly clapping.

Piff simply looked at the boy in the uniform, trying to see passed the dark shadow the bill of his shako cast over the upper half of his face. To his dismay, the only thing visible was the boy's dark brown/green eyes.

The eyes, Piff noticed, were wild looking, wide with small pupils and iris. But by far, the most disturbing thing about the boy was his macab humored smile, filled with sharp fang-like teeth.

"Requiem For A Dream," The boy said as he slid a white gloved hand through his brown/blond hair. "a good choice for a soul like yours."

Piff cocked an eyebrow at the boy's comment.

"What, you don't think the song matches you?"The boy laughed.

Piff simply turned from him and finished packing his violin. As he stood and turned around, he found himself nose to nose with the Band Geek.

"You need to deal with your past, Piff," The boy spat. "not run away from it."

Piff stumbled back and fell over the podium behind him. He crashed into a box of sheet music and knocked over several boxes of the papers.

Piff struggled to get back up, but when he got to his feet, the boy was no where to be seen.

Piff looked around for the boy, but was stopped when he realized night had fallen.

He ran out of the chamber room, down the hall, and out of the double doors.

* * *

Piff walked the lonely night, his boots on the sidewalk echoed slighty as he walked. He was fine until he passed a familiar allyway.

He stopped and peered into the darkness that seemed to be drawing him in. With one small step, he began the journey into the deep dark ally.

Piff emerged on the otherside of the ally, and looking around, he recognized the old, run down surroundings as his old neighborhood.

He walked down the souless streets that eventually lead him to a shabby shack of a house.

He walked through a gaping hole in the fence where a gate used to be and began a slow walk to the porch.

Broken statues and fountains littered the dead yard where dead trees wept over in agaony, giving an overall uneasy feeling to the unnerved Piff.

Piff looked up at the looming monster in front of him, and with a hard gulp and the push of his own determination, he placed a single boot on the first step leading up to the porch, then another, and then another.

He soon found himself standing at the door, being compelled by an outside force to open the door and take that final step inside.

Slowly, his pale hand reached out for the door knob, his strong fingers wrapping around the tarnished sphere, he turned it and was granted entrance to the decrepid house.

Piff stepped into the hall and looked around at the grey walls, plastered with filth from years of vacancy.

He slowly began his journey down the hall, stopping when he reached the living room on the left.

He peered in and saw something stirring in the desolate room.

Upon closer inspection, he saw a young boy, no older than ten hiding in the corner, sheilding his face from the angry shouts of a large man, who stood over him, yelling harsh things.

"What's wrong with you? Why can't you function like a person? Are you retarded? Well?" The man's cruel comments faded as Piff left the aparitions and moved on to the next room.

He followed the hall up to the kitchen, now torn apart and empty.

Piff looked in and remembered how it was in it's prime.

Shdows began to move in the moonlight as he watched, they gave way to yet another scene long since played out.

The boy and the man were nose to nose in the kitchen, the man holding tightly, too tightly, to the boy's right hand.

Piff looked harder and saw tears streaming down the boy's face and his soundless atempts at crying out.

As Piff looked even harder, he saw a broken glass in the boy's fist shredding his skin as the man's fist was wrapped tightly around it.

Piff's hand drew up to his mouth and he stumbled back. After he'd steadied himself, he felt something wet on his right hand. He hesitantly looked down, his eyes filling with tears, as he took in the blood seeping from cuts in his hand.

Piff gasp and the aparition of the man seemed to notice.

Piff looked up in time to see the figment charge after him.

Piff turned and ran back down the hall, swinging a left and running up the stairs, the man still hot on his heels.

He reached the top and ran into a room, slamming the door behind him.

Once inside, he caught his breath and looked around the familiar room.

Slowly, the boy came into view again, sitting in the corner, crying silently.

Piff backed away from the door and hid in the opposite corner when he heard heavy boots pacing outside.

The man burst through the door and jerked the boy up by his purple pony tail.

"I can't believe you! What were you thinking? You're perfectly worthless, you little..." He struck the boy across the face with his open hand. "... you little mute!"

Piff's heart sank as the aparitions dissapeared.

He left the room and continued down the hall, stopping when he saw the boy being drug down the hall by his pony tail.

The man threw him down the stairs and kicked him when he reached the bottom. He then drug him down another hall to the left and opened a door with a key he kept on his belt.

Once the door was open, he threw the silent boy down the stairs and followed him into the darkness.

Piff followed too, but much slower, his eyes wide with fear and watering slightly.

He walked to the doorway, the door having been missing for year, and stepped down into the basement.

The basement looked the same as it did seven years ago, still damp, dark, moldy, and littered with torture devices, all of which he was unfortunately familiar with.

His eyes grew wide as faces seemed to press out of the wall, all twisted with looks of agony and pain, but Piff continued to watch the apapritions.

The boy was chained up by shackles and the man toyed with a blade he held.

He got in the boy's battered face and threatened him.

"If you don't speak within the next five seconds, I'm going to cut a hole in your stomach."

Piff grabbed his throat as he mouthed the same words the boy was trying desparately to speak. _"I'm sorry."_

"five... four... three... two..." The man smirked. "... one!"

The knife glided across the boy's stomach, spilling blood onto the floor and the man's hand.

Piff watched, tears spilling out of his eyes, as the boy screamed silently.

The man unshackled the boy and watched with a sick pleasure as he squirmed on the ground, blood coating his black turtleneck sweater and silver medalion that hung around the boy's neck.

The man knelt down and grabbed at the medalion, holding it with malice in his bloody hands.

"Hehe, you really did love your mother, didn't you?" He spat. "You wanna know a secret?"

The boy simply curled up, his hands holding the gash in his stomach.

Piff gripped his chest where his heart was as the man yanked on the medalion, breaking the chain.

"I killed your mom." The man smiled.

The boy made a desparate motion for the silver chain, but was too slow.

Anger flared up in Piff as he looked down at the same medalion hanging around his neck. He looked back up, materializing a memory he chose to remember. One that gave him the most satisfaction he would ever need. One he would gladly renact.

The man came running back down into the basement, calling for the boy.

"Boy, where are you? You can't hide from me, son!"

Piff smirked and walked about the basement, rattling chains, purposly knocking over boxes of devices all used on him.

The man looked around for the sounds, then Piff stepped out in front of him, smirking.

"There you are, you little mute!" The man yelled as he advanced on Piff.

Piff smirked and waited for him.

The man lunged at him and gasped when he met Piff... and the blade Piff had consealed beneath his shirt.

The man stumbled back, gasping as Piff circled him.

He stopped in front of him and stabbed him in the abdomen, throwing the man to the ground.

He knelt down and plucked the medalion from his neck, smirking.

Piff got in the man's face and spoke softly.

"Do you know why I never spoke? Hmmm?" He asked. "My vocal chords didn't form correctly!" Piff answered. He laughed as he looked away anf out a slender horizontal window. "My mother was the only one who gave a damn about me. And then you came. You came and did things to me because you knew I couldn't tell her... but you got paranoid... so you killed her... you stabbed her... THIRTY SEVEN TIMES!" Piff looked back at the man. "I lived under your hand for six long years filled with starvation, mental and physical abuse! I was punished for my inability to speak, I spent a YEAR OF MY LIFE DOWN HERE IN THIS TORTURE CHAMBER! Well, that's all over now, and I'm going to show you what my life has been like!"

Piff stabbed the man several times with the blade, stoping a few times to cut him for his own pleasure, then finally he stabbed and stabbed and stabbed until the vision fadded, leaving nothing behind but the damp basement again.

The sound of cackling came from the rafters above him.

Piff looked up, startled, and saw the uniform clad Band Geek from earlier, swinging from the wooden beams.

He dropped down and landed directly in fron of him, standing up straight, his hands on his hips, and head held high.

"Bravo." He smiled.

"It was you, wasn't it? You made all those things happen..." Piff said, astonished.

"Yes, it was me." The uniform clad boy smiled as he looked around. "Tell me, Piff, does it feelo good?"

"Excuse me?" Piff asked.

"... Does it _feel _good?" The boy asked again. "To be free from all of this sadness."

Piff, for the first time in a long time, felt a heavy burden lift off of his shoulders. He sighed and nodded.

"You know what to do now." The boy smiled.

Piff nodded and left the basement.

* * *

Gasoline was poured all over the house, making sure to soak the place down.

Piff stood back and threw a lit piece of newspaper into the building.

Standing from affar, he watched with relief as the house sighed for the last time and fell to the ground, a smouldering heap.

"... You did the right thing, you know."

Piff turned to see the niformed boy again.

"... I know." Piff smiled with confidence as he walked away, back down the wmpty street, leaving behind the house and all of it's terrible memories, just as the sun was rising.

* * *

Well, here's the end of this chapter.

Reviews would be nice, especially if you have questions or comments, but if you wish to only read, that is fine too.


	4. Chapter 4: Duality

Here's Chapter 4

* * *

... In which, Mandy faces her worst enemy...

Mandy tossed and turned in her sleep, unable to find peaceful rest due to the storm raging outside.

Finally, fed up, she sat up in bed, reached over to her nightstand, and turned on the small lamp.

To her dismay, no sooner had she cut the lamp on, the power went out.

"Great." She sighed in the darkness as she stumbled out of bed in search of candles.

She walked out of her bed room and down the hall to the kitchen where she shuffled through some drawers for candles.

She had the house to herself this night. Her parents were away and Grim was at Billy's for the weekend. She was perfectly alone, but she didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed the time away from the idiots that surrounded her on a daily basis. Especially Billy.

She grabbed two candles from the drawer and headed back upstairs. She got up to her room before she realized she had no matches.

"For the love of..." She sighed as she headed back out into the hall.

As she rounded the corner, she saw a shadow run by.

Mandy became angered by the thought of someone sneaking into her house.

"Billy? If that's you, I swear I'll rip your nose right off your face!" She yelled as she krept closer to the corner.

She rounded the turn and saw nothing but a flash of lightning through the window.

She sighed and shook her head free of her imagination, then mumbling to herself, she grabbed the box of matched off of the counter top and returned to her room.

Mandy lit the two candles, one sitting on her nightstand, the other on a desk at the far end of the room.

She picked up the book resting on her nightstand and began reading where she left off.

Her shadow was thrown agains the wall by the candle light, and unbeknownced to her, it morphed and twisted with an almost macabre sense of movement until it reached a sinister version of herself.

Without her notice, it darted across the room and formed up behind the desk candle, and with a single breath, blew it out.

Mandy looked up from her book and glared at the candle, then with an angry motion, she closed her book and got back out of bed.

As she walked over to the candle, she saw the shadow dart out the door.

"I don't know what's going on here, but it's going to stop." She said angrily as she followed the shadow.

She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a flashlight, then began her search of the house.

She walked through all the rooms on the ground level, then walked back up the hall, passing a mirror, in which the reflection did not match the caster.

As she passed, the reflection stayed behind and stepped through the mirror.

Mandy had continued up the hall when she felt that something was wrong.

She slowly turned around and was tackled to the floor, a knife at her throat.

To her surprise, she was looking into her own face, but this version of herself was a lot more twisted and wore a sadistic smile that stretched across her sickeningly miniacle face, the eyes were wide and crazy, and she was stronger.

"Hello, counterpart!" The copy smiled.

"Hello, imposter." Mandy hissed.

"Awww, that's no way to treat your other half!" The copy frowned.

"Sorry, there's only one me, thus only one half!" Mandy said as she threw the copy off.

She got to her feet and readied for a fight.

"Silly girl! I am the half of you that hates, that thrives on other's pain, that shuts out any and all happiness!" The copy said smugly as she stood and dusted herself off.

"Oh really, now?" Mandy watched the copy closely. "Then why can I still feel my hatred?"

"You can't." The copy answered simply.

Mandy was caught off guard by the answer, but upon further inspection, she realized she was right.

The copy smirked at her counterpart.

"I told you so." She flipped her hair, dropping the knife to her side. "Tell me, Mandy, how do you feel without me? Think really hard."

Mandy obeyed and thought on the many situations she'd been in and how she may have reacted if she wasn't clouded by hatred.

"Do you remeber the time you and Irwin kissed? Or what about the time you ripped the head off of Junior's teddy bear, his only friend? Mandy, do you remember the first time you fell in love? Do you remember how you treated Piff? And what about all the times you struck Billy?" The copy smiled as she brought up all these, suddenly painful, memories.

Mandy gripped at her heart and backed up, looking shocked by her own actions.

"... I... never realized..." She looked back into the mirror, the copy standing behind her.

"Face it, Mandy, you're a monster." The copy frowned. "And that's all you'll ever be... if I can help it."

Mandy pushed down her panic and looked into the copy's crazed eyes through the mirror.

"... No. I'm not the monster... you are!" She yelled as she swung around and planted a fist on the side of the copy's head.

The copy screamed and flew across the hall and up against a wall.

She lunged and wrestled with the copy, taking several swift punches to the face and ribs.

Mandy pinned the copy down and took this chance to grab the knife and stab her copy in the chest repeatedly.

"I'LL NEVER BE LIKE YOU! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!" Mandy screamed so loud she woke herself from the nightmare she was having.

"Mandy, are you alright? I heard you screamin' and hollerin'!" Billy yelled as he came running into the living room where Mandy and her sleeping bag layed.

She sat up, looked around and sighed.

"I just had a nightmare..." She answered, not just Billy but herself.

"Oh, well, okay then, breakfast is ready! I made your favorite! A hero sandwich with mus-tard!" Billy laughed as he began to exit the room.

"Billy..." Mandy called.

"Yes, Mandy..." Billy said as he turned back around.

Mandy got up and hugged him tight.

"You're my best friend." She added.

"You're my best friend too, Mandy!" Billy said as he picked her up and spun her around. "Now let's eat!"

* * *

Mandy finished getting ready in the bathroom, but before she left, she took a good look in the mirror.

"Mandy!" Billy called from downstairs. "We're gonna be late! Junior and Piff are already at the theater!"

"Alright!" She snapped playfully. "I'll be right there!"

"Okay!"

Mandy took one more glance, then left the room, cutting out the light on her way out, but her reflection remained, smirking.

* * *

There it is.

Once again, reviews are welcomed and treasured, but you don't have to.


	5. Chapter 5: The Unseen

... In which Billy discovers true fear isn't always what one can see...

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Billy asked as Junior walked through the front door.

"Junior's the last person on our list, Billy." Irwin assured, checking a clipboard.

"Sweet!" Billy laughed. "Does everyone have their gear?"

He went around the room, checking everyone's equipment.

"Just what are you morons up to?" Mandy asked as she entered the room, a lolipop twirling in her hand.

"We're going on a ghost hunt!" Billy answered.

Mandy looked over the small group consisting of Billy, Irwin, Junior, and Piff, and she sighed.

"Just don't bring anything home with you." Mandy growled as she exited the room.

"We'll be sure to wipe our feet!" Billy laughed, then he turned to finish adressing the group.

"So, we chill here until nightfall and then we head over to wispercreek manor?" Irwin asked.

"Yep!" Billy answered.

"Sweet, I'm ordering pizza!" He smiled as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Just hang here, do whatever, just stay here until nightfall." Billy added before leaving for the kitchen.

* * *

"Get this! According to urban legends, Wispercreek Manor is sitting right on top of a veil." Irwin read from the screen of his computer as he sat, huddled, in the backseat of Billy's car.

"Veil?" Junior asked.

"An area where deminsions overlap creating a portal between this world and the next." Irwin answered matter of a factly.

"Ah, I see." Junior lied.

Piff pointed at a picture on the screen.

"You want to see the Manor?" Irwin asked.

Piff nodded.

Irwin clicked and enlarged the picture, revealing a large and archaic manor house from the gothic revival period.

Tall collumns upported the balcany and frightening gargoyles lined the roof.

Piff signed with his hands, saying it was beautiful.

"Really? You think?" Irwin asked, looking at the photo. "I think it's creepy."

The conversation was cut short when the car rolled into the parking lot where the old manor stood.

As the small group got out, they looked up at the monolithic monster, looking all the more sinister as ravens flew about her and dark clouds gathered in the distance.

"... Well, we're losin' time!" Billy exclaimed, startling the group, as he walked up the steps, the group close behind. Piff stoped and acknowledged a ring of salt they cut through on the front door step. Looking either way, he could see the salt ring encircled the whole house.

"Piff! You comin'?" Junior called.

Piff ran inside, shrugging off the salt.

They followed close behind as Billy lead, avoiding cobwebs, and rotten places in the floor as they walked through the elder house.

"I think we should set up cameras here and here..." Irwin told Billy, pointing to the stair cases on either side of the large entrance room.

"Agreed." Billy nodded.

Piff rolled out the chord system and began taping them down so no one could accidently pull the chords out of a computer. Accidents such as those had cost them valuble evidence in the past.

"Tape recorders should be left here and here, but also one in the back rooms. I want full coverage on this place." Junior said, referring to the main entrance, the top of the stair case and the living room.

"Very good, set them up." Billy smiled as he helped Irwin set up the computer system.

Within an hour, the whole house was rigged with cameras and voice recorders, all ready to catch some ghostly spector floating about.

When sundown hit, the group began exploring the house.

Billy sat in the living room, holding a walkie-talkie to his face.

"Anything happen yet, Irwin?" He asked.

"No, all's quiet here." He asnwred.

"What about you, Junior?"

"Silent as a graveyard."

"Piff?"

Nothing came from Piff's end.

"Piff? ... You there?"

Still nothing.

"Piff? Answer me!"

"Billy!" Irwin yelled through his walkie-talkie. "Piff just had vocal chord surgery, he can't speak, remember?"

"Oh... yea... sorry."

As the hours ticked by, the house grew even more boring for the group.

"Time?" Billy asked flatly.

"October 30th, 11:59." Irwin answered.

Billy sighed and rubbed his head.

"Guys, I don't think we're gonna get anything here... we should..."

"Billy!" Irwin jumped.

"What?" Billy asked.

"I got something on Junior's camera... come check it out!" He said excitedly.

Billy jumped up and ran back to the main entrance where Irwin was.

"Look..." He pointed out a dark shape moving across the lense.

"Uh, Irwin, that's a spider on the lense..." Billy said, his hopes dashed.

"... Oh... well, it needs to move!" Irwin added. He picked up his walkie-talkie and clicked over to Junior.

"Hey, Junior, do me a favor and flick that stupid spider off of my camera lense." He asked.

"Yea sure." Junior said as he left the closet he was looking in, door open, and walked up to the lense.

Billy and Irwin giggled as Junior got very close to the lense, making him look distorted and funny.

"... I don't see a spider." Junior said.

"... We do, it's still there..." Irwin answered, then holding the speaker away from his face, added, "Poor kid's blind as a bat."

"Guys, stop foolin' around, there's no stupid spider on your precious camera lense." Junior frowned.

"Yes there is dude, how can you not see it, it has to be the size of a silver dollar!" Irwin was growing frustraited.

Junior sighed and looked into the camera, looking rather ruffled himself.

"You guys are so full of crap..." A loud creak interrupted him as the closet door behind him shut.

He jumped and looked back at the camera.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?" He whispered frantically.

"Yea, we caughted everything, even though the stupid spider is still in the way!" Irwin said excitedly.

"Will you forget the dumb bug, please?" Junior snapped.

"Fine, fine! Come up here and see this!" Irwin laughed.

"Be right there!" Junior smiled as he ran out of the room.

While Irwin and Billy went to greet him at the door, they failed to see the closet door slowly creak back open.

Junior ran into the room and over to the computer where Irwin and Billy had run ahead to.

"Check it out, yo!" Irwin said happily as he rolled back the film.

Junior watched with a smile and high fived his friends.

"Well, that's one piece of evidence, let's see if we can find more!" Billy urged Junior back to the room.

After Junior had left, Billy gathered up a voice recorder and an electromagnetic field detecter and slid his jacket on.

"Where are you headed?" Irwin asked.

"I'm gonna go check out the surrounding woods, I'll be back in a few." Billy said as he exited the house.

"Be careful!" Irwin called just before the front door shut.

* * *

Piff walked around the large living room, looking at the gothic architexture that made up the house.

He wandered out into a hall just beyond the main entrance that lead back into the kitchen.

Each slow step made the floor creak as his boot gently pressed the old boards back into place.

He shone his flash light ahead of him to giude his way around rotten spots in the floor, avoiding them gracefully.

Within a few steps was the kitchen, and with a slow motion, Piff reached his hand out and pressed lightly on the swinging door, opening to reveal the old room.

Dust swirled around his boots as he walked across the old wooden floors.

Piff looked around the small room and decided there was no threat there.

He set down his flash light and began to walk around the room, opening drawers and looking at old jars of God knows what.

He opened a drawer and discovered a plethera of old silverwear.

Intrigued, he picked up a spoon, examining the metal work.

* * *

Irwin sat back in his chair, watching Piff and Junior intently on his computer screen.

"... Oh dear tech, that stupid spider's back..." He mumbled as he picked up his speaker.

"Junior, that spider's back..." He sighed.

Junior rolled his eyes and approached the camera again.

"Dude, there is no spider." Junior sighed.

Irwin face palmed and got up to leave the room when something odd caught his eye.

He glanced back at Junior's screen, noticing the closet door opening again.

Junior turned around and saw it as well.

A few seconds of silence passed, then heavy footsteps exited the darkness of the closet, but no physical body was seen.

Junior stood, glued to the spot, looking desparately for a sign of what was coming his way.

As the moment gre silent, he turned to the camera, obvious fear written all over his face.

Sweat droped from Irwin's brow as he watched closely.

"... I-is it go..."

Junior screamed as his legs were jerked out from under him and he was pulled with little friction into the closet, the door slamming behind.

"JUNIOR!" Irwin screamed as he jumped up from the computer screen, and ran out the doors to find Billy.

On the screen, the door to the closet creaked open once more, a small stream of blood trickled out into the floor.

* * *

Piff turned sharply, looking down the hall from where the scream had come, then, after waiting a few moments in the silence that followed, he decided it was just his friends goofing off.

He turned back to the spoon.

When he looked back down on it, he nearly threw up.

A human eyeball looked back at him, transmuting from the dip of the spoon and looking around wild and bloodshot.

He threw the spoon down and backed up, running into the table and knocking several jars of spoiled food to the floor.

He gripped his heart, his chest heaving from the scare.

Piff steadied his breathing and stood up straight, no longer bracing himself against the table.

With steady motions he walked over to where the spoon lay.

He slowly kneeled down and reached out to pick it up, his arm extending, shaking all the while.

With trembling fingers he picked the spoon up, face down, and lifted it up to his face at a distance.

He took a deep breath and then jerked his head to face the spoon, and forcing his eyes open, found that it was empty.

He sighed and sat down, hanging his head and sighing.

He sat there on the floor for a while, looking around.

He grew bored and stood, then walking over to the drawer, he pulled it out to replace the spoon.

He looked inside, his hand hovering just over the open drawer, and found a plethera of eyes looking back at him.

He opened his mouth, though no scream emerged, and dropped everything.

He turned, tripped over the table, and stumpled, panic stricken, into the hall, trying desparately to make it to the stair case.

He caught his breath on the stairs, his head spinning.

As he sat down, he gripped the railing with his left hand, bracing himself agains the mahogany banasters.

His frightened eyes, were cast down, between his boots as he sat, head down, in a panting mass.

A sharp pain fired through his hand and ran up his arm.

He shot up from his seat and pulled his hand back, looking at his bleeding hand, he was shocked to find bite marks.

A terrified glance at the stairs told him the story as eyes and mouths formed out of the railings and stairs.

Mouths opening and closing, chewing at the air, tongues lashing about, and eyes rolling about in their transmuted sockets in only what could be described as agony.

Piff, unable to scream, turned and ran as fast and as hard as he could up the hall and back into the entrance room where the computers were set up, but no Iwrin was there to be found.

As he waited to catch his breath, a loud creak echoed from behind him as the main entrance doors opened and heavy footsteps, a distance apart, drew closer and closer.

He cut right through the room and ran out the front door and frantically into the woods, the front doors of the manor blowing opene behind him, the footsteps thundering after him.

Sticks and limbs threatened to cut him as he ran through the trees and into the forest, dark as night.

Piff looked behind him as trees were bent over by the invisible thing after him.

His throat ached from trying to scream out for help, his eyes watered from pure primal fear, and his hand bled profusly, leading the hunter, drop by drop, closer to him.

Piff loked back before he slammed into something.

He scooted back on the grouund, kicking and punching the person he'd run into.

The weight of this person was now on top of him and pinning him down, but he landed punch after punch, fighting his hardest and eventually getting the upper hand on the figure, he pined them down.

"PIFF!" Billy called as the boy sat ontop of him, pinning his arm under him, his fist drawn back.

Piff looked down on the frantic Billy, struggling to get out from under him.

Piff burst into silent tears and shifted his weight off of Billy.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Billy asked as Piff sat against a tree, holding his face in his hands.

Billy crawled over to him, wipping the blood from his nose and lip.

Piff looked up, his eyes frantic and full of tears as he signed frantically.

"Piff, I can't understand you when you go to fast." Billy sighed.

Piff looked behind him, hearing a rustling, Billy following his glance.

"What's after you?" He asked, his heart racing suddenly.

Piff jumped up and swung around to face his persuer, Billy standing in a defensive stance at his side, ready to fight.

Whatever it was was coming up quick, moving shrubs and breaking branches off of trees.

Suddenly, something emerged, throwing itself to the ground, having tripped over a branch.

Billy threw himself down on the blur that had just flown out of the darkness and threw punch after punch.

"BILLY! CUT IT OUT, YO!" Irwin cried as he threw Billy off of him. "What the hell is your problem, man?"

"What are _you _running from?" Billy asked, exasperated at this point.

"Listen, we gotta get out, we gotta get help." Irwin panted. "Something got Junior."

"What?" Billy asked.

"The closet door flew open and he was sucked in, I DON'T KNOW! We just gotta get help!" Irwin said, his voice shaking.

"We can't leave without Junior." Billy stated as he looked around.

"So what are supposed to do, Billy?" Irwin asked, frustrated.

"We're going back to get Junior." He stated as he began to walk.

Piff shook his head frantically, grabbing Billy's arm to stop him.

"Let go." Billy ordered sternly as he tore his arm away from Piff's grip.

"Billy!" Irwin called, but Billy was already set on the trail back to the manner.

Irwin and Piff exchanged worried glances, and hesitantly followed.

* * *

Back at the computer desks, the camera was still in place, locked on the closet door.

As the door stood open, the puddle of blood still pooled up in the floor, hand prints began to appear, trailing out of the blood and leading into the kitchen.

* * *

Within a few moments, Billy, Irwin and Piff cautiously emerged from the woods and appraoched the house.

Billy slowly, one foot in front of the other, walked up the steps, the other two close behind.

With a shaking hand, he reached for the door and pushed it out of his way, then gave himself over to the shadows as the fell about him.

Inside, the trio made their way into the room where Junior was dragged away.

The room seemed darker, their eyes having a difficult time ajusting to the light.

A loud gasp errupted from Irwin as his eyes found the bloody trail leading out of the puddle.

"We have to follow it..." Billy said more to himself than to the others.

The two followed Billy with grudging steps into the kitchen.

Once inside, the trio formed a tight circle, their backs against one anothers, scanning the room for any sign that Junior was still alive.

Suddenly, the floor boards in the next room began to creak and pop as if something were walking towards them.

The trio stood their ground, though out of fear instead of bravery.

All fell silent as the steps reached the door.

A moment of silence passed as the group let their guard down.

A loud creaking ripped their nerves as the door opened to reveal nothing.

The door frame moaned as the panels broke, as if something far to large for the doorway was trying to get through.

The doorway stretched and screamed loudly until the panels snapped into and the presence entered the room full forced.

A phantom wind blew about the trio and upon the ceiling, feet print walked towards them.

Billy backed up, but tripped over Irwin who was too affraid to move.

Piff was caught under Billy and hit the floor as well.

The three scrambled to their feet and dashed for the hall door.

Irwin's legs were snatched out from under him and he was dragged back into the room screaming.

Billy shot up the stairs as Piff was caught by his ponytail and pulled to the floor, then up the wall and onto the ceiling as if gravity meant nothing.

He struggled against the force, but was struck with an invisible blow each time he tried.

Billy stopped for a moment on the stairs to help Piff, but knew it was too late when he witnessed the wall on the right of the front door begin to move.

He ran faster up the stairs until he reached a room with a door he could close behind him.

Downstairs, a body was transmuting from the wall, a long beak like face pushed its way from the wall like a hand through a plastic grocery bag.

Slowly, a tall slender being pulled away from the wall and stepped into existance.

It stood, slumped over, its arm outstretched and bracing itself agains the opposite wall.

Then, it stood upright and cast its face towards Piff, the moon's light pouring in through the back windows were caught on the being's goggled as it hissed violently at Piff.

It lunged and knocked Piff off of the ceiling, his body slaming against the floor after the fall.

Piff, battered and bloody, made a desparate crawl for the door.

Behind him, the raven-like monster clawed and tore violently at the air as screaches echoed through the hall.

Piff glanced back in horror as the monster tore at the invisible being and spread her grotesque wings, the gapping holes in them revealing muscle about bone.

Piff was inches within freedom when all grew silent behind him, as he reached his bloody hand for the exit, he felt the vibrations of slow footsteps coming up behind him.

* * *

Upstairs, Billy sat, crying in the corner, his fear finally realized and surfacing.

He realized he was not alone when light whispers broke the silence.

"Beyond the veil, beyond the veil, beyond the veil, beyond the veil..."

Billy looked up at the raven formed up from the shadows in front of him.

She reached a talon studded glove out to him, the fingers wide for a tight grip.

He looked up and into the eyes of the monster as he gave up and accepted his fate.

Her talons gripped his shoulder without harm.

She leaned down as close to his face as she could get, the meatl beak of the makeshift bird-like gasmask on her face nearly touching his nose, those goggle lenses catching the sinister glow of the moon outside.

"No one leaves the veil."

* * *

Okay, wow, please forgive me for taking so long!

This one is like, three times the size of the other ones I have so far and I've been really working too, so please forgive me, I will try to be quicker in the future.

Anyway, reviews are welcomed as always.


	6. Chapter 6: S l e n d e r

... You see him. He sees you.

(X)

* * *

The day began as it always did for Junior.

Up at five-thirty in the morning, meeting parents downstairs for breakfast, then back upstairs to brush teeth and get dressed for school.

Then, after all if this, it was time to catch the bus the the public Hell-hole.

(X)

The air on the surface was crisp and cool.

Summer had begun to fade into Autumn now, and the leaves had let go of the branches they were so fond of in the warm months and fell to the ground in sheets that crunched as Junior walked across their top.

He treked, head down, hands shoved into the pockets of his wool-like jacket, black in color.

The red scarf about his neck flitted about as the breeze tossed it around.

Junior was not accustomed to the cold and kept the scarf over his mouth as his glasses acted as a windsheild of sorts.

The wind seemed extra playful this particular morning as it tussled his black hair into his eyes and tickled his nose.

His trip came to a halt as he arrived at the bus stop where three students greeted him.

"Hi Junior!" Billy waved when Junior emerged from the woods.

"Hello, cousin." Junior greeted with a low voice and a small smile.

Over the years, Junior had grown tall and thin, his voice had changed to a tenor and his intellect of the intentions of people had matured.

"Are you ready for Chemistry?" Irwin asked.

Junior nodded and turned his gaze to Mandy.

"I hope you idiots studied for the test in AP Language." Mandy smirked when Billy and Irwin groaned in dispair.

"There's a test in AP Language?" Irwin asked, his eyes wide as the rims of his glasses.

"Yep, and you bozos are going to fail." She sneered as the bus pulled up.

A loud hiss signaled the doors opening.

Mandy pushed her way on board, followed by Billy and Irwin.

Junior was the last to board and was just in time before the doors closed.

Once on board, he looked for a place to sit and was rather disgruntled to find there was no such thing.

He stood in the isle, bracing himself on the seat Billy, Irwin and Mandy shared.

There was very little conversation this morning as Manday stared out the window while Billy and Irwin endulged in their talk of trading cards, videogames, movies and other things that Junior found unintresting.

He watched the scenery outside blur passed and daydreamed, as he did all of the time.

The bus came to a halt and Junior stumpled forward a bit.

He quickly grabbed his back pack from the floor and carefully walked down the isle as the other kids were getting up and shoving passed one another, eager to remove themselves from the overcrowded bus.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he hit the crisp air of the outside and waited patiently for his cousin and his friends to emerge from the vehicle.

One by one, they filed off of the bus, all crowding around Billy and waiting until the group was together.

The small group gathered around one of the pillars supporting the overhang of the bus drop off area.

Piff stepped off of the second bus and joined the small group as they began to walk to their classes.

"I can't believe we have a test first thing in the morning, I didn't even cram!" Irwin complained as they approached the language arts class.

"That's what you get for not having a personal planner." Mandy stated as she stepped though the door and sat down in her desk, the first on the right.

"It's not my fault I have the memory of a gerbil..." Irwin frowned as he sat next to her.

Piff filed in behind Irwin, and Billy behind him.

Junior took his seat behind Mandy.

"Mandy, you gotta help me." Irwin begged.

"No." She answered coldly.

"But..."

"No. That's final. And if I catch your eyes wandering over here, I will remove them, got it?" Mandy warned.

"Understood." Irwin sighed and slumped in his desk.

The bell rang and a few other kids scurried into the class room and threw themselves into their desks before the teacher came in and marked them tardy.

She came in and went straight for her test drawer.

She reached into the organized drawer and removed the packet of tests.

She went from row to row, throwing the packets on the first desks, telling the students to pass them back.

A half hour in and Junior had completed the test just before Piff.

While he waited for the others to finish, he cast his eyes to the grey window and what lay beyond it in the slate wind that tossed the leaves.

He lazily blinked as the minutes ticked by, still watching the outside, daydreaming as Billy chewed frustraitedly at the nonexsitant eraser on his pencil.

His mind wandered from his next class, to what homework he may have missed, to what he was having for lunch that day.

These thoughts seemed unimportant, and were proven as such when he was torn away from them when an odd, startling figure caught his eye.

Outside, beyond the oak tree, he saw something that wasn't there before.

His impaired eyes made it difficult to make out the object, but it appeared it was leaning out from behind the tree, almost as if it were watching him.

He squinted, trying desparately to see the figure, when the bell rang, signaling class change.

As the students passed by his desk, blocking his vision, he was frustraited to find that whatever he had been looking at, was no longer there.

(X)

Teens filed into the lunch room, the area seeming darker due to the impending storm.

Junior found his seat with the small group of friends he had and layed his lunch out on the table.

"Man, why do you do that to yourself, yo?" Irwin asked Piff, who had nothing but an apple.

Piff cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"I eat when I get home. Cafeteria food is murder." Piff said softly before biting into his apple.

"I can't run all day on an apple, I gotta have _real _food in me." Irwin smiled as he pulled a large sandwich from his paper bag.

Everyone at the table, say for Billy, grimaced at the things that hung out from the sides of the sandwich.

"Oh yea, the double ham and turky baccon, lettuce, cheese and tomato hunger killer. The king of all lunches." Irwin smirked, holding the monstrocity up like a trophy.

"Okay, you have to share, sharing is caring." Billy laughed.

Irwin studied Billy for a moment before rolling his eyes.

"Weeeeeell... okay, fine." He said as he cut the horrid creation in half and gave part of it to Billy.

Piff only shook his head as the two inhaled the abomination.

"That thing is wrong. There isn't any other word to describe it." Mandy grimaced.

Piff simply looked away and tossed his apple core into a nearby trash can.

Junior tore his eyes away from the horrible scene unfolding in front of him and focussed on eating his peanut butter sandwich.

"Wow, what? Did you run out of jelly, Junior?" Irwin asked.

Junior looked down at the sandwich and smiled lightly.

"I don't like jelly." He stated.

"I put jelly on my toast every morning." Billy said before chugging down a bottle of the gatoraid he'd been carrying with him all day.

"Wonderful." Mandy rolled her eyes.

The bell rang again and the group trotted to their next class, the final class of the day.

(X)

"Okay, so what was up with that surprise quiz in History?" Billy frowned.

"It wasn't a surprise, we were informed of it before the weekend." Mandy corrected.

"Well, I don't remember it." Billy snorted.

"Why am I not surprised?" Mandy rolled her eyes as the bus pulled up and the group said their goodbyes to Piff and boarded.

Once home, Junior came in and set his back pack down by the door, and headed for his room, saying hello to his parents on the way.

He shut the door behind him and threw himself onto his bed and slid his headsets on, turning up the volume on his stereo as loud as he could.

He grabbed a book off of his nightstand and began to read.

Within an hour, the words became incoherent and he nodded off, the headsets still on his head.

As the music blared in his ears, the room around him was quiet, say for the light tapping of what looked to be a branch at his window.

Slowly, the window was raised by the branch and its thin twigs wrapped around the frame.

"Junior!" His mother called as she knocked at his door.

She entered and shook him lightly to wake him.

"Wha?" Junior asked groggily as he proped himself up on his elbows and slid the headsets off.

"Dinner's ready." She smiled. She then turned and headed for the door, but stopped last minute and spoke to him. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to sleep with the window open?"

"Sleep with the..." Junior turned and looked at the open window. "I didn't..."

"Come down soon, okay? Your food will get cold." She smiled before she left.

Junior starred at the window for a few moments before finally getting up and shutting it.

(X)

Junior finished dinner and headed back to his room for the night.

He slipped out of his shirt and jeans and plopped down on his bed, arms resting comfortably behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

A few moments later, he removed his glasses and placed them aside on his night stand.

Hazey thoughts gave way to sleep as Junior settled into the night.

As all grew silent, and Junior's breath slowed and evened out in his slumber, the room around him was still.

He was sound asleep and unnoticing of the tall, thin figure that rose up from the foot of his bed and loomed over him, watching him sleep with its eyeless face.

(X)

The next day, Junior rushed to the bus stop and just caught it in time.

He jumped on board and made his way to the back where his friends were.

"Hey, Junior! You made it!" Billy exclaimed upon seeing his cousin.

"Yea, we thought you were laying out or somethin'." Irwin added.

"What? No... I overslept... I didn't sleep well last night." Junior said as he leaned on Billy's seat, far to tired to support himself.

"What kept you up?" Mandy asked.

"Not sure, really... bad dreams, I suppose..." Junior frowned.

"You probably had too much sugar before bed. That makes me have weird dreams sometimes." Irwin stated, adjusting his glasses.

"Yea..." Junior said as he thought about what he had for dinner. From what he remembered, none of it was sugary.

The bus rolled up at the school and jolted to a stop.

The students all clamored to get off and into the building.

Once outside, the group waited for Piff to get off of his bus.

They chattered amongst themselves as Piff stumbled off of the bus and slowly walked over to them.

"Damn, son, you look horrible." Irwin made a face at Piff.

It was true, the goth was rather ill looking.

Piff's normally pale skin was porcelin white, his hair hung out of the usually tight and upkept pony tail, his regularly rigid stature was slumped and weak and his pace was slow and sickly.

"What's wrong with _you_?" Mandy asked, stoic as every.

"... I don't feel very well..." Piff whispered.

"It's okay, Piff, we'll help you!" Billy offered his optomism as he put his arm around Piff's shoulder.

The bell rang and the group made their way inside for class.

(X)

Junior sat in chemistry, once again, looking out the window, wishing he were anywhere but where he was, not unlike most of the other students.

Beside him, Irwin copied Mandy's answers to the work sheet they'd been assigned, Billy doodled all over his.

Behind him, Piff was asleep with his head down, his condition unchanged from earlier that morning.

The class room proved to be unexciting and just couldn't hold Junior's attention, but the grounds outside did.

The sky was just as gray and stormy as it was the day before, the clouds still threatening a storm.

His eyes wandered from tree to tree, aimlessly seeking something of interest.

His wish was granted.

Junior's eyes widened as he locked onto the same shadey figure he'd seen before, standing there, in the open amongst the trees, just standing there.

Once again, Junior squinted and strained to see the image.

Junior's eyes were locked and bound on the figure, and soon, he came to realized with some fear that the figure was also looking at him.

Junior watched, anxiety swelling in his chest suddenly, as the figure stood inhumanly still, its white bald head cocked slightly to the side.

Junior tried to open his mouth to speak to his friends, to call their attention to the tall figure, but he found himself paralyzed, whether it be by fear, or something else, he was paralyzed none the less.

Junior was terrified and wanted the feeling to stop. Fortunately for him, the bell for lunch rang and other students passing by broke his stare.

Junior gasped loudly and fell out of his desk once the stare was broken.

The other's laughed as they left the room.

Billy helped Junior up and the group gathered around him.

"What's wrong, Junior?" Billy asked.

"Yea, what got your goat, yo?" Irwin asked.

Junior adjusted his glasses and ran to the window, ignoring the questions of his concerned friends.

"Junior... are you alright?" Billy asked.

"He's gone..." Junior said worriedly.

"Who's gone?" Mandy asked.

"The tall man outside!" Junior exclaimed, searching for the figure.

"Tall man?" Irwin questioned.

"There's this really tall man I keep seeing... he's really white and wears a black suit, thing..." Junior slowed down when he relaized he was babbling.

"Junior... no one's out there..." Irwin said, a bit a fear aparent in his wide eyes.

"... But... I saw him..." Junior frowned.

"You're tired, Junior. You probably just imagined it." Mandy stated. "Someone wake Piff up, we'll get locked out of the lunch room if we don't hurry up."

"No, you don't understand... I SAW him, he was right there!" Junior pointed to the thicket of trees.

"You saw a tree." Mandy frowned.

"It wasn't a damned tree!" Junior snapped. "I know what I saw!"

Mandy crossed her arms and glared at him.

"... I know what I saw..." Junior said to himself.

He quickly picked himself up from the window and rushed for the door, down the hall, and around the corner, heading towards the library.

(X)

The light in the library was dim, the dull wall mounts, old as the school itself, had seen better days.

The impending storm outside wasn't helping the light situation by any means.

Several books, wide open, were spread across a single round table, at which, Junior sat.

He read quickly, page after page, through several volumes of mythical beasts and local legends.

His frustration grew as he continueously came up empty handed.

He sighed in frustration and laid his head down in the pages of the book.

"I believe I found what you're looking for."

Junior looked up, shocked to see Mandy, and the others, standing around the table, a large tome in her hands.

She threw the gigantic book down in front of Junior, dust rising from its ancient pages.

"It seems you have the unfortunate luck of running head long into The Slender Man." Mandy frowned.

"The Slender Man?" Junior asked.

"Also known as Fear Dubh, The Dark Man, Takkenmann, Branch Man, Der Grosse Mann, or The Tall Man." Mandy listed the names. "He's been seen in Scotland, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Britain, Canada, China, Ireland, India, Romania and now, America."

"Basically everywhere." Irwin stated.

"And now, he seems to have taken an intrest in you." Mandy added.

"Why me?' Junior asked. "And what does he want?"

"Who knows." Mandy replied. "No one knows enough about him to know where he comes from, where he goes, or what he wants."

"So what do I do?" Junior asked.

"I guess you wait." Mandy replied.

Junior turned his eyes back to the tome.

"Hey! It says here that he kills people! Dear God... he mutilates them... and he seeks out children and those who are afraid of him..." Junior said more to himself than the others.

"Maybe that's the trick. No fear, no Slender Man." Irwin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"How can you not be afraid of him? Look at him!" Junior said, holding up the tome with a picture of one of Der Ritter's wood carvings.

"I'll admit... It is difficult." Irwin gulped.

Junior dropped the book and his head to the desk and spoke into the pages.

"Why me?"

"Junior..." Mandy said as she took a seat next to him. "Did you do anything to provoke his attachment? Anything at all?"

"No! I mean... I don't know... I only looked at him..." Junior sighed.

Mandy took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"You see him. He sees you." Mandy stated.

Junior sat up and rubbed his face.

"I don't believe this is happening." He said in almost a wimper.

The others took a seat too.

"Don't worry man, we'll be right here." Irwin said with a smile.

"Yea, I'd like to see some Slender dolt try to carry you away." Billy smiled.

"Listen... tonight, we could all sleep over... what do you say?" Irwin suggested.

Junior wiped at his face a few times and then answered.

"It wouldn't attract him to you?"

"No. In most cases, he is after one person, and one alone." Mandy answered.

Junior nodded.

"Cool. We'll make it fun. We can order pizza and watch some movies." Billy smiled.

"Thanks guys..." Junior said as the bell for the end of lunch rang.

(X)

The bus stopped outside of the woods where Junior walked to get back home.

He was wary of the woods now. Every tree was an enemy.

Slowly, the group began their journey through the woods.

Since the days had become shorter, the sun was beginning to set.

As they walked, to his discomfort, a mist began to settle in amongst the trees.

"Heads up, eyes forward gentlemen. We may have company." Mandy warned.

They continued on a bit further before the tops of the trees began to move.

Mandy's eyes cut back and forth.

"There's no wind..." Irwin stated.

"Keep moving." Mandy ordered.

The mist thickened as they continued on into the woods, the canope of the trees becoming more and more violent with movement.

"Stop." Mandy ordered as all grew still.

"Has he moved on?" Junior asked in still.

"What's that?" Billy asked loudly as a shape began to slither through the mist.

"He's on the ground, run!" Mandy yelled as she grabbed Junior's arm and took off.

The others follwed closely as they put foot to ground, running as fast as they could through the blinding mist.

The moisture in the air was thick and obvious against their skin as they ran through it, full force.

Everyone gasped as they reached the junk yard and dove head first into the hole that would lead them to Junior's house.

All went screaming down into the entrance area of the tunnel that would lead them to the castle at th Earth's center.

Junior got up qucikly from his seat on the dirt floor and pulled the protective gates to his home open, ushering the others through before slamming the gate and locking it with the large pad lock.

"Get inside!" Junior pushed Billy forward as the others ran for the castle.

Sis was caught by surprise as the group came through the front door and locked it swiftly behind them.

They all stood around the door, panting.

"We made it... all of us... even Piff..." Irwin pointed to the sickly goth, who frowned in his direction.

"Hello!" Nergal smiled widely as he entered the room. "It's such a wonderful thing to see my son bringing home friends!"

"Hi Mr. N." Thay said in unison.

"I do hope you will stay the night, Junior hasn't had a sleep over in some time now." Nergal smiled as he patted his son's head.

"Yea... sure." Mandy said as she elbowed Irwin for giggling.

"Good. The rooms are upstairs, Junior will show you." Nergal added before going back into the kitchen.

Junior lead the others upstairs to his bed room. Once there, everyone set their bags down and sat on his bed.

Once everyone caught their breath, Junior spoke.

"So what now?" He asked.

"We wait." Mandy answered.

"What do you guys want to do in the meantime?" Billy asked.

"I say we fuel up and get ready." Irwin stated.

"Or we read up and get ready." Piff corrected.

"Or that." Irwin piped down.

Mandy got up and removed the tome from her back pack.

"It is said that this creature has it's origins in Germany, originating and living in the Black Forest, however, there are depictions of this creature dating back to cave drawings in Brazil and even hieroglphics." Mandy read.

"What are his weaknesses?" Junior asked.

"There is too little known about him to know for sure... but there are ways around his strengths. It is said that if you look him in the face, he can hypnotize and ensnare you. When fighting this creature, look at the feet." Mandy read.

"How do you kill him?" Junior asked.

"You don't... but if thwarted, he may leave you alone..." Mandy read. "... But that's a stretch."

"Yea, it sounds like once he sees you, he's pretty much set on you." Irwin frowned. "Sorry, yo."

Junior looked out his window. The glowing lava offered little comfort, nor did the tall black tree just outside.

It had always been there, but now, he saw it as an object of high detestment. He hated the tree nown and wish the firey waters about his home would engulf and destroy it.

"Well, in the mean time... I'm ordering pizza!" Billy smiled as he turned his cell phone on and dialed a number.

While Billy ordered food, the others began making a plan.

"So, I figured we would record this room tonight, just to make sure there isn't something odd going on." Irwin said as he removed a camera from his bag.

"Good." Mandy nodded as he stood and began setting up the camera.

"So we just wait for him tonight?" Junior asked.

"Yes. This way we may get something on him." Mandy replied.

"We should make sure we get the window in the shot." Piff added.

Irwin nodded and adjusted the camera.

(X)

That night, everyone settled down into their sleeping positions, the camera at the ready.

Unbeknowned to them, the air around them filled with a phantom fog.

Slowly, the window opened and several long slender arms slipped inside.

(X)

"Junior! Junior! We have to get to school! Wake up!" Irwin's frantic voice woke Junior from a dead slumber.

"What?" He mumbled.

"We over slept! Let's go!" He yelled before grabbing his back pack and jumping out the door.

Junior leapt out of bed and ran out the door behind the others.

(X)

At the bus stop, he leaned over Irwin's shoulder and looked at the camera.

"We have to get to a computer before I can show the film." Irwin frowned.

"When will I be able to see it?" Junior asked.

"Soon. Meet me in the library during lunch." Irwin said softly.

The group was silent when the bus pulled up, its doors opening with a sigh.

The ride to school was rather quiet, unusually quiet, for the cabin of the bus.

Though disturbed by the perpetual silence, he never said a thing.

(X)

Once everyone had departed from the bus, they began their usual walk to AP language.

Junior and his friends stayed close as the halls lights flickered. The unsettling silence clung to every locker, every hall, every turn, and everyone around.

Outside, thunder broke the skies and rain finally began to pour from the clouds.

As the group drew closer to their destination, they suddenly stopped just outside the door.

"... Something's not right here..." Mandy said under her breath.

"Guys... let's get to the library... I got a feeling stuff's about to hit the fan." Piff whispered.

"Yea, I agree..." Irwin said as he, and the others, turned and walked in the direction of the library.

As they walked, the lights, not three tiles behind them, began to go off one by one.

The group stopped and turned about, looking behind them.

"Something's coming..." Mandy whispered.

Something stirred in the darkness at the end of the hall, then several slender arms appeared and dragged a tall, thin body. It stood up, slouching forward being too tall for the hall.

"RUN!" Irwin yelled as he pushed the others forward.

The group was once again running from the creature that persued them.

The trickling sound, like bamboo against the tile, was close on their heels as they slid around the corner and dove head first into the library.

Piff and Irwin qucikly jumped up and barred the doors with a wooden sign the had fallen in all the ruckus.

Irwin peeked over the bar, looking for any sign of the creature.

Piff coughed violently and slid down the wall.

"I think he's gone..." Irwin whispered.

Then suddenly, the tall form stood up, its tall form looming above the door, the suit and tie were only visible beyond the glass of the door.

Irwin threw himself to the side so as not to be seen.

Mandy tackled Piff, forcing his head into her shoulder, trying desparately to quiet his coughs.

The door rattled violently for a few seconds before the looming figure left.

"Okay... now he's gone..." Irwin sighed.

"Let's get to a computer..." Mandy said as she peeled Piff's blushing face off of her shoulder.

The group located a computer just beyond a bookshelf whcih offered wonderful protection from being seen.

Irwin quickly attached the cables to the computer and waited for the video to load.

"Alright... this is it..." Irwin said as he reached for the play button.

Suddenly, the doors to the library burst open and the tall figure stepped inside.

The group sank beneath the bookshelf and watched through a crack.

The creature looked around the seemingly empty room, then he slowly turned his head towards the bookshelf and seemed to stare right through the small crack.

He cocked his head to the side and seemed to ponder.

Junior jerked his head away and closed his eyes tightly, but when he looked back, he was gone.

Junior's eyes widened as he searched for the monster.

He then turned away from the make-shift sight portal and was met with the eerie white face of the creature.

Junior cried out and threw a solid punch.

This bought him time as he scrambled to get away, but as he ran, he heard the others screaming.

He turned back and saw the many arms of the man holding the others.

He held Piff far above his head and drew him close to his face.

Piff struggled to break free.

"I wont look at you! I wont!" Piff cried.

Another hand came around and help Piff up, now by either side of his chest, like one would hold a young child when throwing them into the air and catching them.

"No! Stop!" Piff screamed as the creature's thumbs pierced his stomach and made a precision cut across, surgical, even.

Piff let out a curdling scream as he began to bleed out.

"STOP!" Junior called to the tall creature.

The being turned his faceless skull to Junior and waited.

"... I'll go with you... just... please, don't hurt them..." Junior begged, tears pouring out of his eyes.

The creature tilted his head and then proceeded to drop the others.

Once they hit the ground, they hudlled together.

Billy clung to Irwin, who clung to Mandy, who was wrapped up in Piff's arms.

The tall being approached Junior and stood in front of him. H ethen extended a long arm and opened his hand, a if asking Junior to take it.

Junior sighed and took the creature's hand.

The slender creature lifted itself up off the ground with his arms and began to spider walk out of the library, Junior walking out on his tentecles.

Junior paused in the doorway and took one more look back, and then vanished into the darkness with the monster.

The others sat, stunned, and horrified.

Suddenly, a piece of tile fell from the ceiling and hit the keyboard of the computer, causing the video to play.

The scene was normal until the fog rolled in and the window slowly opened. Then the tape began to malfuntion.

Through the glitchy video they could see the creature coming through the window and walking about the bodies on the floor and stopping at Junior's bed side.

The tape froze and then picked up.

The monster was sitting at the head of Junior's bed, petting him like a child of his own, even looking down on his sleeping form with some aura of compassion.

Then the tape went blank.

The group starred in horror at the tape.

"... He knew... he knew what was on that tape this whole time..." Mandy whsipered.

(X)

The next week, everything returned to normal.

Everyone snapped out of their daze and school was back in session.

A search party went out for Junior, but they knew he wouldn't be found.

His desk sat empty during AP Language and everyone seemed a bit more quiet, perhaps out of respect or perhaps fear.

Billy and Irwin went out with the search teams after school everyday to look for Junior.

Piff was hospitalized for a few days, but was back in class and recovering nicely. His mysterious illness disapated after the events of the earlier week.

Mandy sat, starring out the window, hoping for any sign that Junior was alive and unharmed, any at all... then she caught sight of something.

A thin figure leaning out from behind a tree, starring back at her.

She squinted to see better. The person's black and white suit came into vision, then their face.

Suddenly, her eyes shot wide open.

"Junior..."

(X)

* * *

I apologize again for the wait. I tried to make this one just as scary as the last few, but I just don't know how I did on this one. Let me know if you liked it or not.

I wanted to do a story about the internet craze called "The Slender Man" for a while and I hope I did it justice.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it and I will try to have the cover drawing for this story up on my Deviantart account soon and I will try to get the next chapter up asap.


	7. Chapter 7: 7 Fold

In which some learn that karma is brutal

* * *

Monday morning began as usual for Mindy. She walked the halls of the school, her lackys close by, letting everyone know who their queen was.

No one ever challenged her position and no one ever stood up to her. They knew what would happen if they did.

She continued her parade up the hall, passing the frightened faces of her peers by.

Pud'n was struggling with the four books he pulled out of his locker. He managed to shut the locker door and when he turned, he lost his balance and droped every book.

Mindy stopped in front of him and looked down at him as he scrambled to pick up his belongings.

"Oh, you poor thing!" She exclaimed, "Let me help you..."

She picked up a book and held it out for him.

Just before he could take it, she threw it down the hall.

"Yea, right!" She cackled as she and her clique continued down the hall.

* * *

The bell rang for class to start, and Mindy walked to her seat, her followers hustling to theirs. She stopped when she saw Piff and snarled.

She made a b-line for his desk and stood over him, her hands on her hips.

"I thought I told you not to show your face here again with that aweful hair!" She scowled.

Piff looked up at her frowining.

"Well, didn't I?" She demanded.

Piff didn't say anything. He just looked at her, frowning, his brows knitted together in confusion.

"How dare you..." She leaned down until she was nose to nose with him, "You'll see what happens when people disobey me..."

She then left for her seat, which was next to Sperg and her other worshippers.

Piff looked over at Junior, who frowned at him, knowing there was going to be some sort of reprecusion for Piff's "defiance".

Ms. Butterbean came in finally and started teaching, which in all honesty, was more complaining about how much she hated her job and what she should be doing instead of having to baby sit a bunch of snot nosed brats.

Mindy leaned over to Sperg and began whispering to him while Ms. Butterbean continued on about being on a beach instead of a prison for little monsters.

Half way through her rant, Sperg, her favorite student, raised his hand.

"What?" She demanded.

"I love your class so much, Ms. Butterbean, I want to move closer so I can hear better." He smirked.

Ms. Butterbean waved her hand lazily and Sperg moved up closer. He took the empty seat behind Piff and looked back at Mindy with a wink.

Junior looked over at Sperg nervously, but Sperg caught him starring.

"What are you looking at, foureyes?" He hissed.

Ms. Butterbean turned around and locked her eyes on Junior.

"Move up front!" She ordered.

Junior looked at Piff, then at Ms. Butterbean.

"Now!" She pointed at Junior's new seat.

Junior gave Piff and apologetic look as he got up and relocated.

Ms. Butterbean resumed her complaining and Sperge set Mindy's plan into motion.

He carefully removed a lighter from his pocket and pressed the trigger, creating a tall flame.

He snuffed the flame and smirked, looking at Piff's ponytail.

He reached over his desk and placed the lighter under the end of Piff's ponytail and carefully pressed the button.

The flame lit up and leapt onto Piff's hair.

A few seconds passed before Piff felt the intense heat on the back of his neck.

He leapt up and slapped at the flames that had spread to the collar of his turtle neck.

Ms. Butterbean turned around as Junior leapt up and emptied Pud'n's water bottle on Piff, suffocating the flames for good.

Sperg cackled as Piff pulled his ponytail in front of his face to discover it was a melted and chared mess.

Piff touched the ends of his hair as the brittle scorched ends crumbled and fell off.

Junior looked at the back of Piff's neck where his shirt had caught fire. It was melted and Piff's skin was red where the heat had burned him slightly. No severe damage was done, but it certainly scared everyone.

"What is going on?" Ms. Butterbean demanded.

Piff tried to use sign language to explain what had happened, but Ms. Butterbean stopped him.

"I don't understand any of that!" She yelled.

Piff shrank back from her shouts.

The class was silent, no one wanted to confess, but everyone saw what had happened.

Before anyone got the courage to say anything, the bell rang and everyone fled as quickly as they could.

* * *

At the end of the day, Junior, Piff, Billy, Irwin, and Mandy all sat under their tree as they waited for their rides.

Piff had his head down, resting on his kees.

"It's alright, Piff, hair grows back..." Billy patted his back.

"You don't understand..." Piff strained to talk.

"Don't talk, we can read sign language. You're going to hurt yourself." Junior advised.

"No..." Piff sniffled, "People look at me like a freak when I sign..."

"But you're not supposed to talk with your condition." Irwin stated.

Piff shook his head and continued, "My dad is going to kill me..." He cried.

The group looked at one another with worried glances.

Piff's step father was a mean man. He was a convicted criminal in almost every crime you could think of and was a belligerant drunk.

They sat around him until a car pulled up and laid down on the horn.

Everyone looked up as the man rolled down the window and shouted angrily.

"GET YOUR ASS IN THIS CAR RIGHT NOW!" He called to Piff, "WAIT UNTIL WE GET HOME!"

Piff shook as he stood and walked over to the car.

He opened the passengerside door and climbed in. He shut the door and looked out the window at his friends, tears running down his face.

They watched as they drove off, Piff still looking back at them.

Billy frowned and took his hat off, fiddling with it nervously.

Juinior looked at the ground, his arms crossed.

Mandy wore a look of pure disgust at the man and shook her head.

Irwin hung his head and the group walked home together in silence.

* * *

That night, Billy laid in his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Believe it or not, but he was thinking. Reflecting, a better word, on the events of that day.

"Someone should do something about those jerks." He thought outloud, "They should get a taste of what it's like... no, they should get a taste of something way worse than what they've done."

* * *

The next day went exactly the same.

Class started and Sperg sat behind Piff again.

Ms. Butterbean began her furious rant again and all the students did their own thing.

Sperg leaned in close to Piff and realized he was wearing the same clothes he had yesterday, the scorched collar still there.

"You stink." He whispered in Piff's ear.

Piff lowered his head.

"Did you know that?" Sperg continued, "You smell like the inside of a dumpster."

Piff tried to lean away from Sperg, but he grabbed onto his ponytail to keep him from doing so.

"It makes sense, though. I hear you live in a dumpster. I hear you and your step daddy live in a dumpster and he busts beer bottles over your head every night." He whispered.

Piff had begun to cry as Sperg pulled him in closer by his ponytail.

"Where's your mom?" He asked, "She run off and leave you? I don't blame her."

Sperg thumped the back of Piff's shades that wrapped around the back of his ear and they fell off and onto the deask, making a racket.

The whole class turned around and looked in his direction.

Piff tried to make a grab for his shades, but Sperg still had him. The whole class saw the black eye Piff wore and the deep bruise it created on the top of his cheek bone.

Sperg let him go and he grabbed his shades, got up and ran out of the class out of embarassment.

Junior jumped up and glared at Sperg.

"What is wrong with you?" He yelled, "Why would you do that to him? Has he not already suffered enough?"

"Junior, sit down!" Ms. Butterbean yelled.

"No!" Junior yelled back and left the class room as well.

"That's right, go find your boyfriend!" Sperg cackled.

Ms. Butterbean went back to ranting, ignoring the fact that two of her students were missing now.

* * *

Junior wandered the halls until he finally found Piff crying in one of the bathrooms.

He ran over to him and took his shoulders in his hands, trying to get a look at his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Piff shook his head and wiped his eyes before looking up at Junior.

"... Mama didn't leave me..." He whispered, "Dad killed her."

Junior sat back when Piff spoke. That was horrible to hear and even worse to know that it actually happened.

Junior sat with Piff until the bell for lunch rang.

"People are going to be coming in here, we'd better move." Junior advised.

Piff nodded.

The two got up and walked to the door, but before they could leave, Sperg walked in.

"I knew I'd find you two homos in here." He smirked.

Piff hung his headand looked away, but Junior stood defiantly in place.

"Let us go, Sperg." He glared.

Sperg shut the door behind him and locked it.

"I'm afraid Mindy has other plans for you." He smirked as he cracked his knuckles.

Piff backed up, knowing he could fight back, but it wouldn't take much for Sperg to hurt him really badly.

Junior glared at him even harder and spoke, "You don't want to do this, Sperg."

"Why is that?" Sperg snickered, "Is it because you think you're freak powers will save you and your boyfriend here? Or should I say girlfriend, because that's what both of you are going to be once I'm done with you."

Junior took a stance and gave him one more warning.

"Don't do it, Sperg."

Sperg advanced on Junior, his fists balled.

Junior released his tentacles and rose up on them. He wrapped several of them around Sperg and began to thrash him around the small bathroom.

He threw Sperg up against the mirror, shattering it, then ontop of the sink, breaking the porcelin with the sheer force of the blow, he then dragged Sperg over to the toilet where he forced his head under the water and held him there, bubbles erupting from the bowl.

Suddenly, the door was opened and Principal Goodvibes ran in, picking Junior up and shaking him.

"Let him go, son! Let him go!" He cried.

Junior listened and dropped Sperg, who emerged from the toilet gasping for air.

Piff was up against the back wall, shivering and crying.

"You little freak!" Sperg gasp, "I'll get you! I'll get both of you!"

"Come at me or Piff ever again and I'll finish what I started!" Junior screamed.

"Boys!" Goodvibes yelled over them, "That's enough! My office, now!"

He escorted the three boys to the bench outside his office, taking Sperg in first.

Junior and Piff sat outside the office door in silence, waiting for their turn.

Junior glared into space, still filled with rage and wanting to end what was begun.

Piff bit his nonexistant nails and shook, tears forming in his eyes.

"... I'm in trouble again..." Piff whimpered, "... I'm going to get in so much trouble tonight..."

Junior looked over at Piff who finally just broke down and began bawling.

He scooted over closer to Piff and hugged him.

"I don't want to get hurt anymore... I just want to be left alone..." He sobbed.

Junior rubbed his back and tried to comfort Piff, but he knew nothing was going to change what awaited Piff at home.

They sat like that until Sperg was released from the office and Goodvibes stepped out to motion Junior and Piff in.

He looked at the two in sympathy and placed his hand gently on Junior's back as they walked inside.

They sat in the two chairs in front of his desk and waited for him to speak.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Sperg locked us in with him and was going to try to beat us up." Junior said.

Piff nodded and continued to bite his nails.

"I was protecting myself and Piff..." Junior looked over at Piff, "He could've killed him, sir, Sperg is huge compared to Piff."

Piff looked over his shades at Goodvibes, the tears clear in his eyes.

Goodvibes lowered his head. He knew the truth. He knew how Sperg was, and he knew what the dire outcome of that fight would've been had Junior not been there.

The problem was that the school district of Endsville had laws set in place restricting any nonehuman student from using their abilities in school, and Junior was in violation of those rules.

He sighed and hung his head, "I'm sorry, Junior, but you're parents have been called. They're going to pick you up. You've been suspended for ten days."

Junior was outraged, "How can you do that?"

Piff looked up at Goodvibes suddenly, fearing for his life.

"I'm sorry, son..."

"No! Don't say you're sorry. Who's going to make sure he doesn't kill Piff? Or someone else?" Junior hissed.

"I will inform your teacher of..."

"She won't do anything! She never does anything! She'll sit and watch while he continues to torture people and pretend she doesn't see anything!" Junior was crying now.

Piff looked over at him fear and sadness growing in his chest.

Principal Goodvibes lowered his head as Junior stood with a violent motion and looked at Piff.

"Come on, Piff." He motioned for the boy to follow him.

Piff got up slowly and followed Junior out of the room and down the hall to the library.

* * *

The two sat in front of the large floor to ceiling windows in the library, watching the dreary clouds outside hang their grey masses over the skies. Thunder boomed somewhere off in the distance as the weather slowly churned into a storm.

Piff sat, wringing his hands, in front of Junior.

Junior looked up at Piff, who looked away, an apologetic look on his face.

"You're welcome to come stay with me and my family..." Junior offered softly.

Piff didn't answer for a while, he just looked at the floor.

"... He won't let me..." Piff whispered. "I think it makes him happy when he hits me. He's not going to give that up."

Junior frowned and lowered his head. Anger flared in him like the flames of the sun. He wanted due payment, justice, he wanted revenge now more than ever.

A slight rumbling announced the arrival of Junior's father as the drill car pierced the surface.

Junior looked over at Piff, who was still transfixed by the floor.

"I have to go now, Piff." Junior said as he got up and made his way around the table.

He gave him a quick hug and then left silently through the library doors.

* * *

"Good job, Sperg. You managed to get rid of that freak AND leave our main target wide open." Mindy smiled at Sperg.

"Yea, but at the cost of my freakin' skull." Sperg growled, holding an ice pack to his bleeding head.

"No one likes a complainer, Sperg!" Mindy scolded as she filed her nails.

Sperg snarled, but said nothing.

"Now, all we need to do is finish our job." Mindy stated.

"What do you have in mind?" Sperg inquired.

"It's not official yet, but one way or another, he's getting rid of that aweful hair." Mindy smirked at Sperg as one of her lackey's held up an electric razor.

"Ah..." Sperg smirked. "But... I want to officially get back at Junior."

"Sperg, set your personal grudges aside! We are after _my _target! You can have your fun later." Mindy said sternly, resting her feet on Pud'n's back pack.

Sperg scowled at her, but obeyed.

"So, here's what I'm thinking..." Mindy began, "Piff has art class tomorrow after this class, so, Sperg, you'll follow him from this class and chase him down the hall where we'll wait just around the corner, and when he gets close enough, we'll jump out and finish up what we started."

The lackey's high fived one another and giggled.

"Sure." Sperged smirked.

"Alright, then it's settled. Tomorrow." Mindy stated.

* * *

The next morning, Sperg, Mindy, and her two lackey's waited with baited breath for the bell to ring so they could put their plan for Piff in motion.

The bell rang after what felt like forever and everyone began to file out. Mindy and her two goons ran to their spots, while Sperg stayed right behind Piff.

Piff felt Sperg behind him and quickened his pace, but Sperg copied.

Piff paniced and took off running, Sperg right behind him.

Piff made a sudden turn right into the boy's bathroom.

Sperg slid passed the door, but corrected his speed, changed direction, and entered the bathroom.

At first glance it appeared as though no one was in the small room, every stall looked empty.

Sperg knew better though.

"Come out come out wherever you are..." He said as he drew closer to the stalls, "You don't want to be late for art, do you?"

He kicked in the first stall with a loud bang.

Piff stood on the seat of the toilet in the last stall, flenching as Sperg drew closer, thunder echoing in from the outside as it began to rain.

Bang! Another stall door opened.

"I know you're in one of these..." Sperg laughed.

Bang! He was getting close. Too close.

"When I find you..." Sperg threatened.

Bang! Piff's stall was next.

He swallowed hard, and waited, but something happened. Another voice began to speak.

"Occupied."

"What the hell?" Sperg yelled.

A hooded figure leapt from the stall and drop kicked Sperg, throwing him into the sinks.

The figure then knelt down and drew a blade from his boot.

Sperg gasp at the blade, but it was too late. It had already been thrust into his stomach several times.

After the gorey ordeal ended, the figure calmly stood, Piff watching through the crack of the door as he washed the blade calmly in the sink and left.

* * *

"Where the hell is Sperg?" Mindy complained. "Hey, you two," She adressed the lackey's, "go peek down the hall to see if he's coming!"

They obeyed and ran down the hall and around the corner.

Suddenly, the lights went out, making it rather dark in the hallway.

"Ugh, this school is so ghetto." Mindy hissed.

* * *

The lackey's rounded the corner and ran into someone. They fell to the ground, a little dazed.

Suddenly, they were lifted off of their feet and found themselves struggling to breath.

* * *

Mindy was growing impatient and at the sound of footsteps, she stepped out into the hallway.

"Are you ready for your punishment?" She asked, holding up the razor.

The footsteps drew closer in the darkness.

"I was about to ask you the same question." He cackled as he stopped about five feet in front of Mindy.

Lightning shown in through the glass door at the end of the hallway, illumination the figure's build from behind.

"Y-You're not Piff!" She gasped.

The figure chuckled and began walking again.

Mindy turned to run, but the figure advanced on her and caught her, slamming her against the dusty lockers.

"You made this too easy." He chuckled. "There is a reason Piff took this way to class. Look around, dear. This hall isn't used! It's been under repair for years, but the school never had any money to actusally fix the problems with the electrical wireing. No one ever comes back here."

Mindy whimpered as the hands around her neck tightened.

"Which means no one will know what actually happened here today." He laughed.

Thunder boomed outside as he drew the blad once more and gave Mindy back everything she had given out.

She looked up at her killer as she slid down the locker, a bloody trail following her.

"Karma's a bitch, ain't it?" He said as he took the hood off.

"P... P... Pud'n?" She managed.

"You get what you give, Mindy." He stated. "Now we're even."

He turned slowly and walked calmly down thedark hall, lighting up on ly breifly with lightning every now and then, his footsteps and thunder the only sound in the silence.

He exited the hall into the rain and never looked back.

* * *

Thanks for waiting on me.

This one is a little more difficult to read because of the looooong wait for revenge, but the longer the wait, the sweeter the reward, right?

Review if you like, I'll be writing more, I promise. :)


End file.
